Brain in the Heart

http://www.therealessentials.com/followyourheart.html

Follow Your Heart

"...our hearts may actually be the 'intelligent force' behind the intuitive thoughts and feelings we all experience." Throughout the ages, the heart has been referred to as a source of not only virtue and love, but also of intelligence. One of the most prevalent themes in ancient traditions and inspirational writing is the heart as a flowing spring of intelligence. Many ancient cultures, including the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Greek, assert that the heart is the primary organ responsible for influencing and directing our emotions and our decision-making ability. Similar perspectives of the heart as a source of intelligence are found in Hebrew, Christian, Chinese, Hindu, and Islamic traditions. For example, the Old Testament saying in Proverbs 23:7, "For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," is further developed in the New Testament in Luke 5:22, "What reason ye in your hearts?" The characteristic of balance and the attainment of bodily equilibrium are also recognized as the essence of Yoga traditions, which identifies the heart as the seat of individual consciousness and the center of life. In traditional Chinese medicine, the heart is seen as the connection between the mind and the body, forming a bridge between the two. Even with all these traditions and colorful heart metaphors, most of us have been taught that the heart is just a ten-ounce muscle that pumps blood and maintains circulation until we die. Medical science asserts that the brain rules all of the body's organs, including the heart. However, it is interesting to note that the heart starts beating in the unborn fetus even before the brain has been formed. Neuroscientists have recently discovered exciting new information about the heart that makes us realize it's far more complex than we'd ever imagined. Instead of simply pumping blood, it may actually direct and align many systems in the body so that they can function in harmony with one another. These scientists have found that the heart has its own independent nervous system a complex system referred to as "the brain in the heart." There are at least forty thousand neurons (nerve cells) in the heart as many as are found in various subcortical centers of the brain. The heart communicates with the brain and the rest of the body in three ways documented by solid scientific evidence: neurologically (through transmissions of nerve impulses), biochemically (through hormones and neurotransmitters), and biophysically (through pressure waves). In addition, growing scientific evidence suggests that the heart may communicate with the brain and body in a fourth way energetically (through

electromagnetic field interactions). Through these biological communication systems, the heart has a significant influence on the function of our brains and all our Systems. This new scientific evidence shows that the heart uses these methods to send our brain extensive emotional and intuitive signals. Along with this understanding that the heart is in constant communication with the brain, scientists are discovering that our hearts may actually be the "intelligent force" behind the intuitive thoughts and feelings we all experience. Thanks to the discovery of heart intelligence, with its premise of the heart as a primary source of emotions, we have a new paradigm for understanding our emotions. With the strong scientific tie established between our wellness factor through emotional management. The more we learn to listen to and follow our heart intelligence, the more educated, balanced, and coherent our emotions become. And it naturally follows that the more balanced and coherent our emotions become, the less likely we will be to experience sickness and disease. Because of the ever growing scientific research on heart intelligence, it may be time we developed a new personal attitude about following our hearts."

Tips for learning to recognize our heart's intelligence:

Think positive thoughts throughout the day to increase your personal energy.

Our internal power, or the amount of physical, mental, and emotional energy we have, is a determining factor in the quality of our lives. Internal power translates into vitality and resiliency. Positive thoughts and feelings add energy to our system. Negative thoughts and feelings deplete our personal energy. Encourage your deepest heart feelings.

There are many positive heart feelings including love, compassion, nonjudgment, courage, patience, sincerity, forgiveness, appreciation, gratitude, and care. Experiencing these feelings increases synchronization and coherence in our heart's rhythmic patterns. Each of these heart feelings has a powerful, beneficial effect on how we relate to life. Reduce your stress.

The less stress we feel, the less internal confusion we will experience, and the easier it will be to hear our heart's intelligence. When we are relaxed, we don't need to strain our body to stay focused and productive. Focus on recognizing your heart's intelligence and realize the importance of listening to it before making choices.

The brain operates in a linear, logical manner that works great for many problems but can limit us in others. Often we need more than logic to solve a problem, especially if it is an emotional one. Heart intelligence provides us with an intuitive awareness that is expanded beyond linear, logical thinking. As a result, our perspective usually becomes more flexible, creative, and comprehensive. Use meditation or calm, quiet moments to reflect on your heart's intelligence and listen for intuitive thoughts.

Make time each day to sit quietly and focus on your heart. Imagine you are breathing through your heart. Calm your mind. Try to not think of anything but breathing through your heart. When your mind is clear, you will begin to receive impressions and ideas. These are coming from your heart. Pay attention. Use therapeutic-grade essential oils.

Experiment with essential oil blends such as: Aroma Life (#3306) Awaken (#3312) Clarity (#3321) Envision (#3337) Harmony (#3351) Inspiration (#3366) Joy (#3372) Magnify Your Purpose (#3377) Peace and Calming (#3393) Present Time (#3396) White Angelica (#3432)

Reprinted from Young Living Essential News, February, 2002.

To learn more, read:

About The Cardiovascular System

Doing What It Takes For Heart Health

http://madurasinghe.blogspot.com/2008/06/neurocardiology-brain-in-heart.html

Neurocardiology: The Brain in the Heart

Neurocardiology: The Brain in the Heart

While the Laceys were doing their research in psychophysiology, a small group of cardiovascular researchers joined with a similar group of neurophysiologists to explore areas of mutual interest. This represented the beginning of the new discipline of neurocardiology, which has since provided critically important insights into the nervous system within the heart and how the brain and heart communicate with each other via the nervous system. After extensive research, one of the early pioneers in neurocardiology, Dr. J. Andrew Armour, introduced the concept of a functional "heart brain" in 1991. His work revealed that the heart has a complex intrinsic nervous system that is sufficiently sophisticated to qualify as a "little brain" in its own right. The heart's brain is an intricate network of several types of neurons, neurotransmitters, proteins and support cells like those found in the brain proper. Its elaborate circuitry enables it to act independently of the cranial brain to learn, remember, and even feel and sense. The recent book Neurocardiology, edited by Dr. Armour and Dr. Jeffrey Ardell, provides a comprehensive overview of the function of the heart's intrinsic nervous system and the role of central and peripheral autonomic neurons in the regulation of cardiac function. The nervous system pathways between the heart and brain are shown in Figure 2. The heart's nervous system contains around 40,000 neurons, called sensory neurites, which detect circulating hormones and neurochemicals and sense heart rate and pressure information. Hormonal, chemical, rate and pressure information is translated into neurological impulses by the heart's nervous system and sent from the heart to the brain through several afferent (flowing to the brain) pathways. It is also through these nerve pathways that pain signals and other feeling sensations are sent to the brain. These afferent nerve pathways enter the brain in an area called the medulla, located in the brain stem. The signals have a regulatory role over many of the autonomic nervous system signals that flow out of the brain to the heart, blood vessels and other glands and organs. However, they also cascade up into the higher centers of the brain, where they may influence perception, decision making and other cognitive processes. Dr. Armour describes the brain and nervous system as a distributed parallel processing system consisting of separate but interacting groups of neuronal processing centers distributed throughout the body. The heart has its own intrinsic nervous system that operates and processes information independently of the brain or nervous system. This is what allows a heart transplant to work: Normally, the heart communicates with the brain via nerve fibers running through the vagus nerve and the spinal column. In a heart transplant, these nerve connections do not reconnect for an extended period of time, if at all; however, the transplanted heart is able to function in its new host through the capacity of its intact, intrinsic nervous system.

Read the full article:http://www.heartmath.org/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=51/index.html

http://sue-adams.hubpages.com/hub/your-second-brain-is-in-your-heart

Your second brain is in your heart

A second brain in the heart is now much more than a hypothesis. Heart transplanted Memories is the discovery by prominent medical experts that recipients of heart transplants are reporting huge changes in their tastes, their personality, and, most extraordinarily, in their memories. Today new science is testing the theory that the heart is involved in our feelings, that it is intelligent and that it sometimes can lead the brain in our interpretation of the world around us.

Case Studies
A large number of case studies were enough to prompt some scientists to look differently at the heart and test old theories, that the heart is involved in our feelings and emotions. In the last 40 years we have developed the ability to transplant a heart from one body to another. In that time intriguing experiences have emerged from recipients.

See all 5 photos A second brain in the heart? Illustration: J.Kando

a new heart for football

turned poet

FACTS
These are only a few of the many cases reported as evidence of something new and extraordinary happening to heart transplant recipients.

A gentle, soft spoken woman who never drank alcohol and hated football got a heart from a crashed biker donor and turned into an aggressive beer drinking football fan.

A lazy male couch potato received a heart from a stuntman and became an athlete.

A man who could barely write suddenly developed a talent for poetry.

A 47-year-old Caucasian male received a heart from a 17-year-old African-American male. The recipient was surprised by his new-found love of classical music. What he discovered later was that the donor, who loved classical music and played the violin, had died in a drive-by shooting, clutching his violin case to his chest.

An eight-year-old girl received the heart of a ten-year-old girl who had been murdered. After the transplant, the recipient had horrifying nightmares of a man murdering her donor. The dreams were so traumatic that psychiatric help was sought. The girls images were so specific that the psychiatrist and the mother notified the police. According to the psychiatrist, using the description from the little girl, they found the murderer. He was easily convicted with the evidence the patient provided.

turned athletic

the heart organised into a small but complex nervous system. The hearts nervous system contains around 40,000 neurons called sensory neurites that communicate with the brain. He

called it the Little Brain in the Heart. It has been known for many years that memory is a distributive process. You cant localise memory to a neuron or a group of neurons in the brain. The memory itself is distributed throughout the neural system. So why do we draw a line at the throat?

Possible Explanations
Doctors now attempt to explain why organ recipients are hosts to donors memories and emotions, also known as "cellular memories". While a handful of scientists are sceptical dismissing this strange phenomenon as post-surgery stress or reaction to anti-organ rejection drugs, there are also a growing number of experts who believe cellular memories are indeed transplanted with organs.

Meeting Donor's Family

Such new heart recipients and many more were so intrigued by their new personalities that they sought out who their donors were. Upon meeting, their hunches were confirmed: the new personality traits had been passed on from their donors. Families of donors bond with the recipients, feeling that there is still something left of their lost loved one inside the body of a living person. Neurologist Dr. Andrew Amour from Montreal in Canada discovered a sophisticated collection of neurons in

Nothing Mystical, Pure Science

Other medical experts offer different explanations, but all agree that it is not so much mystical as it is science, and a science that needs further exploration.Professor Pr Paul Pearsall and Pr Gary Schwarz got together. Professor Gary Schwartz says that Feedback mechanisms are involved in learning. When we talk, for example, about how the brain learns, we talk about what we call neural networks in the brain. It turns out that the way a neural network works, is that the output of the neurons feed back into the input of the neurons. And this process goes over and over again. So long as the feedback is present the neurons will learn. If you cut the feedback, there is no learning in the neurons."

The Mind is not Just in the Brain

Dr. Candace Pert, a pharmacologist and professor at Georgetown University believes that the mind is not just in the brain, but also exists throughout the body. This school of thought could explain such strange transplant experiences. "The mind and body communicate with each other through chemicals known as peptides", says Dr. Pert. "These peptides are found in the brain as well as in the stomach, in muscles and in all of our major organs. I believe that memory can be accessed anywhere in the peptide/receptor network. For instance, a memory associated with food

may be linked to the pancreas or liver and such associations can be transplanted from one person to another".

Feedback Memory
"The implication is that it's important for the neurons to have the feedback for the learning to take place. By extension any system that has feedback is going to therefore learn. We learn to shoot a ball into a basketball net by getting feedback about whether we are accurate or not. We learn to speak by getting feedback about whether we're accurate or not. And so consequently, any system, any set of cells that has feedback mechanisms in a network is going to learn the same way that neurons learn. That's what is called feedback memory."

Not just a pumping machine?

Also read http://www.heartmath.org/research/faqs/research-faqs.html